Side coupling for railroad-cars.



No. 700,702. I Patented may 27, |902.

F. KUHN.

SIDE CUUPLING FUR RAILROAD CARS.

(Application led Feb. 8, 1902.)

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UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ KHN, oF FLN, GERMANY.

' SIDE COUPLING- FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f LetterS Patent N0. 700,782, dated 'May 27,1902. Application filed February 3,1902. Serial No. 92,385. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ KHN, a subject of the King of Prussia, Emperorof Germany, and a resident of Pln, in the Empire of Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Side Couplings forRailroad- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a side or lateral coupling for railroad-cars,and has for its object various improvements in the construction ofthesame.

The coupling forming the subject of the present invention isdistinguished from side couplings hitherto known in that the engagementof the hooks of the same takes place from the side instead of from thetop.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the improvedcoupling, showing the coupling-hooks in a straight or horizontalposition, while Fig. 2 is a view from the under, portion of the car,showing the coupling-hooks lifted out of engagement and laterallydisplaced.-

Theconstruction is as follows: Upon square rods d, fixed to the underpart or bottom of the car, sliding pieces c are arranged, the latterbeing longitudinally movable from the sides of the car by means oflevers it' in a forward and backward direction. These sliding pieces ccarry or are provided on one side with flat springs e, which upon theforward longitudinal movement of the said sliding pieces c by means ofthe lever t' press against or bear upon the raised surfaces or shouldersj", provided on each of the said coupling-hooks b, the latter beingpivoted at a in the said square bar d, `whereby either the one or theother of the coupling-hooks are caused to eXecute a lateral turningmovement, whereby the uncoupling of two cars is eiected. On the otherhand, the coupling of two cars takes place automatically when the hooksare not in the before-mentioned displacedvposition or, in other Words,when the front surface of the hooksl can slide against each other uponthe impact of two cars, in which case the hooks will snap intoengagement and effect the said coupling. The counter-springs o, arrangedon the opposite side of the sliding pieces c, have the purpose ofkeeping the couplinghooks l] in the straight position. Lastly, to impartto the hooks a certain resilience of their movement the'pivots afarearranged to slide in slots 7c ofthe carrying-bars d, spiral springsZbeing arranged around the latter.

WhatI claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

In a side coupling for railroad-cars, the combination of a square bar(l, arranged underneath the car, sliding pieces c, adapted to belongitudinally displaced by lever mechanism i exterior of the car,horizontal couplinghooks l), pivoted in a 'slot ofthe bar, the saidhooks having slanting impact-surfaces and being provided with lateralelevations or shoulders f against which-flat springs e, arranged uponthe said sliding pieces, are adapted to bear, upon the forward movementof the sliding pieces c, whereby the coupling-hooks are laterallydisplaced, and of counter-springs o adapted to bring back and retain thehooks in a parallel position with the bar d, all essentially as and forthe purpose'set forth.

In witness-whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this '118th day ofJanuary, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing-witnesses.

FRANZ KOHN.

Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

